


Forever Linked

by BBCMuggle



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel
Genre: Adorable FitzSimmons, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-18
Updated: 2014-08-26
Packaged: 2018-02-09 09:22:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1977579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BBCMuggle/pseuds/BBCMuggle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Simmons is determined to speak with Fitz through his coma, and creates a device that lets them enter each other’s minds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Apart

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after the Season 1 Finale of Agents of SHIELD. Contains minor language. Please leave reviews and comments!

“And you’re sure this will work?”

“Fitz made the prototype himself. All it needed was some bio-integration with adjustments to the neural transceiver and –“

“But it will work, right?” Coulson needed reassurance. What they were attempting could only be described as insane. But Simmons was determined. She was going to do this.

“There’s only one way to find out.” Simmons shrugged as she screwed the last wire into place. “Done.”

She stepped back from her creation as Coulson, Skye, and May eyed it apprehensively. It was a large metal table with a domed portion near the head covered in colorful wires that snaked through like a labyrinth. It looked like a terrifying dentist’s chair with a hint of mad scientist.

After a moment of silence, Skye spoke up. “Is it safe?”

“I’m sure the bio portion of it is flawless, but if Fitz messed up the engineering, I can’t  -“ the words caught in her throat.

* * *

 

Simmons hadn’t been the same since the incident. She’d been having nightmares of a faceless figure pushing Fitz to his watery grave. The figure’s face would slowly turn into a skull as red as fire. As it drew closer to her, it would reflect her face until she became the figure, pushing Fitz off a plane, or a cliff, or a waterfall, straight into a bottomless ocean.

She would awake in a cold sweat, calling Fitz’s name, expecting him to come and comfort her as he would after she had jumped out of the plane and survived. But he didn’t come. So she would slip out of her bunk and wander the halls until she ended up in the med lab, where they had curtained off a small area for Fitz.

And he would be lying there, just as he always was, breathing through a machine and showing no response. And she would read to him. She always kept a book on the small table beside him, and whenever she had a moment, she’d read to him until her voice was hoarse. At night, of course, she read softly and quietly. But during the day Skye would sometimes catch her reenacting whole portions of the story with different voices and props.

Lately, Simmons had been reading one of Fitz’s favorites:  _The Collected Works of Sherlock Holmes_ , by Arthur Conan Doyle. She hoped that by portraying herself as Holmes, she would somehow force Fitz to wake up and tell her off. But it never worked.

Months went by and Simmons still read to Fitz every day. But she reenacted things less, and would often fall silent in the middle of a sentence just to stare into the distance, often holding back tears. Her reading sessions became less frequent as she dedicated herself to her work. Coulson was rebuilding SHIELD, after all, and he couldn’t do it without proper gadgets.

One day, when she was going over some of Fitz’s old projects and ideas, she came across one for a sub-neural multi-wave interface. It was a device that could link two people’s brain waves so they could communicate with their minds on an almost sub-conscious level. It was more of an idea-projector than a communications device, but it made Simmons think. What if she modified it to communicate with someone in a dream state? Or to talk to someone in a coma? Could she actually see Fitz again? The real Fitz and not the shell he left behind?

The idea consumed her, and she worked tirelessly on the device until her prototype was finished. But she refused to tell anyone what it was until she was completely sure it was ready for use. After a few tests on some lab animals (Fitz would have hated her for that,) she was confident enough to bring her proposal to Coulson.

After a debate on the ethical dilemma of Simmons hiding it from her team and wanting to test it on herself, Coulson finally agreed when Skye and May took her side. This led them to the lab where she made her final adjustments.

* * *

 

“Be safe in there, okay?” Skye took Simmons by the arm and looked her in the eye. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I’m going to get Fitz back, no matter what it takes.”

“Negative, Agent Simmons. You will attempt to communicate with Fitz, and if the test is successful we will put in for another round. This is just to test our feet in the water. Remember that.” Coulson had on his worried-dad look.

“Yes, Sir.” Simmons didn’t want them to keep her from doing this because she wouldn’t follow orders. It was best to just stick to the plan.

“Ready?” It was May. She pulled back the curtain to Fitz’s bead where the other half of the machine was hooked up to his head. The machines and tubes were in stark contrast to Fitz’s peaceful, sleeping face that reminded Simmons of a small child who dozed off on the couch.

“Let’s get started.” Simmons slid into her chair and May began hooking her up. “Just remember what I told you, keep an eye on the bio readout for me and Fitz. More importantly Fitz, because he may not have the neural energy to combat any negative effects the machine may have on him. Make sure that if anything goes wrong, you ease him off quickly, but gradually. Make him your priority, because –“

“We’ll be watching you both. You explained everything to May and Skye so they can take care of you two if anything happens.” Coulson was calm and soothing as always. “Just remember, we don’t know what state Fitz’s mind is in right now, and you’re just wading into it hoping to find a way to talk to him. Don’t wade in too deep, or we might be able to get you back out. Be careful. Be safe.”

Simmons nodded, but Coulson’s water metaphor was not making her feel safe. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried not to tense every muscle in her body.

“Do it.”

Skye flipped the lever between the two machines, and Simmons plunged into a giant, white, blinding abyss. 


	2. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simmons uses memory recall to find Fitz

Simmons awoke with a start, not in the med lab, but… where was she? Everything was white, soft, and warm. She felt comforted and secure in a way she hadn’t experienced since the accident. She could practically feel Fitz’s presence engulfing her.

She turned around, expecting Fitz’s smiling face to greet her and exclaim, “It’s about time, Jemma.” But there was no one there, just more white empty space.

“Well, he has to be around here somewhere.” She said it aloud, but the words were absorbed into the whiteness the moment they were spoken.

She scrunched up her face in a worried way. “He’d better be here.”

Simmons chose a direction and started walking.

_Come on, Fitz. I know you’re around somewhere. There has to be some brain activity going on. Where are you?_

What if the brain scans were right? What if there really was no activity? What if Fitz was already gone and she was wandering through an empty mind?

_No. Only the most topical scans indicated zero brain activity. The ones I designed went deeper and found cordical neurostimulation in the memory processing centers of his brain. He’s in here somewhere._

Memory processing… how could she access Fitz’s memory processing centers? They were effectively sharing their minds at the moment, so could her memories stimulate brain activity for them both?

_Fitz and I do share a multitude of moments together that could be used as a shared memory. But which to choose? There are so many. I guess I’ll have to start at the beginning…_

Simmons concentrated on the day she met Fitz. What was she doing? Oh yes, it was Freshman year at the academy. She had just gotten her midterm grades back…

As she thought about it, the scene began to form around her. Younger Jemma was checking her student mailbox for a package from her mum while her roommate chattered away.

“Look, I’m not saying that he’s, like, Michael Jackson or whatever, but don’t you think he should try out for the band? I mean, he can dance, he can sing, and he can even play the bass. It’s pretty neat.” Chrissy’s curls bobbled up and down as she spoke and her dark skin shone with glittering makeup as she awaited Jemma’s answer.

“I’ve never heard him sing. Does he perform in the boiler room? I’ve been meaning to get down there soon, but I haven’t had time. Midterms were an absolute –“ Jemma stopped in the middle of her sentence as she looked at the envelope in her hand. It was her midterm grades.

“Oh no. Chrissy. I think it’s my scores. It took the professor so long to mark everything I was afraid he’d forgotten I wanted a copy.”

Older Simmons watched as her younger self argued with Chrissy about whether to open the envelope or wait. She chuckled to herself as she remembered how she had hid the envelope in terror until the day before final exams.

Younger Jemma and Chrissy started to walk back to their room, and older Simmons was about to follow when she heard footsteps coming from the opposite direction. They were footsteps she had heard a hundred times, and footsteps she was afraid she would never hear again. As she spun around, there was younger Fitz, hair curly as ever, but his clothing was more casual than she’d witnessed in ages.

“Fitz!” She cried, smiling as wide as she could through the tears that were welling up in her eyes. “Fitz, you’re here! I knew you’d –“

But Fitz walked straight past her without making eye contact. He grabbed the letters from his student box and walked by her again to leave.

“Fitz?” Simmons barely had time to register what was happening before hurrying after him.

He concentrated on the letters in his hands. A small smile appeared on his face when he read a postcard from his mum. Then he threw away some ads in a bin as he walked.

“Fitz? I don’t know if you can see me, or hear me, but I’m here. Is it you? Younger me isn’t nearby, so this isn’t my memory. It has to be you. Come on, I’m here.”

Fitz froze. Jemma nearly walked into him, barely stumbling around to see his face. But he wasn’t looking at her. He was staring at a letter in his hands.

“Bloody midterm marks.” He mumbled under his breath.

Simmons kept pleading with him to hear her all the way to his dorm room, but he carried on as though she were a ghost.

Back in his room, he sat at his desk, took a letter opener off its stand, and sliced open the midterm grades. He glanced over what was written and with each word, his face fell.

“Should have hidden them like I did, Fitz. You would’ve been much happier.”

Fitz plopped onto his bed and pulled out his laptop. The moment he opened it, though, a bolt came loose and the screen nearly fell off.

“Oh, Brilliant!” He yelled. “Jus’ what I needed! I’ll fix you later, you piece of junk.” Simmons drew back. She’d seen Fitz get upset plenty of times, but this was different. She couldn’t put her finger on why, but it felt wrong.

Fitz stormed out of the room and Simmons followed after. He was heading down flights and flights of stairs. Simmons wasn’t sure where he was going until they were walking across the lawn towards the one of the oldest buildings on campus. He was going to the boiler room.

“There we go, that’s more like it.” Simmons smiled, knowing what was coming next.

At the door into the building, though, Fitz stopped. He paused and put his head on the door.

“I can’t.” She heard him whisper.

Fitz found his way to a bench behind the building. His head fell and his face was obscured by darkness.

“What? What do you mean ‘you can’t’? You have to go in there, Fitz. I remember this night. You had just had the worst week of your life and my roommate had finally dragged me to the boiler room and we both tried Whiskey for the first time, and you refused to tell me your first name…”

Simmons sat down beside Fitz. “Trust me, it will make the worst week of your life into one of the best.”

“I can’t.” Fitz repeated, shaking his head. “I won’t.”

Simmons didn’t care that he couldn’t hear her. “You’ll go in there, I know you will. And I’ll be beside you until you do…” She took a breath. “And every day after.”

“The whole damn time.”

She started. What had he said? Did she hear him right?

“I’m sorry. I should never have gone to the boiler room that night. I shoulda stayed in my room and fixed that damn computer. This never woulda happened.”

“Fitz?” Her heart was pounding now.

“I thought that was the best night of my life. I thought things couldn’t get any better. But I was wrong. Every day got better and better. But I would give it all up if it meant you were safe.” Fitz lifted his eyes to Simmons, and she saw that he was crying.

“Fitz! Can you see me?? Have you seen me this whole time? Why didn’t you say something?” Simmons flew into his arms, unable to hold back her own tears.

“Jemma, I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry. This is all my fault.”

“What are you talking about? Fitz, don’t be daft. What’s the matter?” Simmons was actually worried now. She looked into Fitz’s face and could tell he was not shocked or excited to see her. The expression he was giving her was full of sorrow and longing, and it scared her.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save you, Jemma. And I wish rewriting history was as easy as not walking into that building tonight. But this is it.”

“What’s it? What are you saying, Fitz?” Simmons drew away from him and could feel herself starting to shake.

Fitz took a deep breath. Jemma recognized that expression. It was the same one he wore the last time they were together.

“In that pod… at the bottom of the ocean… I..” his voice cracked. “… _we_ , uh…”

“Jemma, we died.”


	3. Falling Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something's happening to Fitz and it's starting to affect Simmons too

"Jemma, we died."

There was silence for a moment while Fitz waited for a reaction. But it was not what he expected. Simmons was  _laughing_. It was the loudest she'd laughed since he accused her of smothering his face in shaving cream. It was beautiful, but completely unexpected.

"Is - Is -" Simmons could barely speak, but kept on. "Is that what you've been so caught up about?"

"Simmons, this is no laughing matter.  _You_  said we'd turn into monkeys. Thermonuclear dynamics, remember?"

"And you, Fitz, said it would be like it was before we were born. Is this what your mum's womb was like?" She waved her hand vaguely while trying to keep her giggles under control. They were still sitting on the bench behind a dirty old building on the academy campus.

Fitz cracked a smile too. "Honestly, I doubt there was anyone laughing at me for not being alive."

"Oh, Fitz. We're not dead. What would make you say that?"

Fitz sobered up and put his hand on Simmons'.

"Look, I know it migh' be hard for you to hear, but I told you before... I did the math. Even with that one breath, there was zero percent chance that I would survive, and only a small chance that you would. I gave everything for that chance, and I'm sorry it wasn't enough."

"But it _was_ enough, Fitz! I made it to the surface, and I dragged you with me! We're fine. Well -" she paused. "We will be fine." But she broke eye contact with Fitz as she spoke.

"I thought I was alive for a bit too." Fitz said. "But then old memories started coming back and soon I was living them like you saw tonight. Y’know how they say your life flashes before your eyes when you're about to die? It won't stop. It's not a flash. It's every moment. Over and over again."

Fitz started. "Ooch! What was that for?" Simmons had pinched him.

"I've had enough of your talk. I'm telling you we're alive and you'll just have to listen."

Fitz looked sheepish.

"I dragged you out of the ocean, Director Fury rescued us -"

“Fury's alive?"

"Yes, try to keep up, will you?"

Simmons continued explaining what had happened with minor interruptions from Fitz. By the time she got to finding him after activating the device, she was out of breath and his eyes were transfixed on her face.

"Does all of that make sense? Do you get it now?" Simmons pleaded with Fitz's almost blank look.

"No, it's completely daft! I know you're smarter than to do anything like that!" He sighed. "You'd better be right about being alive, because I'm going to kill you for taking such bloody risks to get here."

Simmons flew in to hug him, smiling all over.

"I knew you'd come around!"

Fitz embraced the moment, happy in the knowledge that they had made it this far.

He closed his eyes, soaking in the feel of her hair, the touch of her hand, and warmth of her body against his. But she pulled away suddenly.

"Fitz?"

"Yeah?"

"Wasn't it just night a few minutes ago?"

"Mmhmm."

Fitz opened his eyes and could see the entire campus covered by a bright light.

"Oh no." Fitz sprang up, grabbing Simmons as he did so.

"What is it? Are we transitioning to another memory?"

"If we get lucky!" Fitz ran away from the source of the light, dragging Simmons with him.

"Fitz! What's going on? What is it?"

"Don' look back. We need to focus on a different memory, preferably one where we're together!"

They were both running out of breath, but Simmons managed to yell back, "First day at Sci-Ops! The orientation video!"

"Yes, good! Let's focus on that!" Fitz had to scream the words, because a loud noise had started behind them. It grew in intensity as the light became brighter.

Simmons nodded and they both shut their eyes, covered their ears, and tried to focus on the shared memory. But Simmons glanced back at the light and gasped at what she saw. It was like a bubble expanding through campus. It was centered near the dorms, and bursting towards them. As it went, whole buildings would disappear into it, as if vaporized by the light.

Simmons shut her eyes again, focusing on the memory. Then the light was gone.

"Pssst. You the kids from Scotland?" 

FitzSimmons were in a meeting room with a handful of other new SHIELD agents watching an orientation video. Younger FitzSimmons sat in one of the front rows while older FitzSimmons stood awkwardly near the screen. Another new recruit was getting an earful from Fitz about the difference between Scottish and English.

"What. Was. That?" Simmons spun on Fitz, who was taken aback.

"Look, he thought you were Scottish and some people are just ignorant of the -"

Simmons cut him off. "No! The bright light? The loud noises? What was that about?"

Fitz appeared confused. "I don'... What are you going on about?"

She wanted to smack him, but he seemed genuinely ignorant. He concentrated harder.

"I think I migh’ know what you’re referring to. It, uh..." He trailed off.

"Fitz, we were at the academy, sitting on a bench somewhere, I don't really know why..." Now Simmons was confused. Why were they on that bench?

"I was supposed to meet someone important..." Fitz was thinking hard. "I don't know who. That was the worst week of my life." 

Simmons shook her head. "Look, your rendezvous is irrelevant. What do you remember about the source of the light?”

"Really bright, you said?"

"Yes."

"Did the noise start out as a sor’ of humming and grow louder?"

Simmons thought for a moment. "Yes, I suppose it did."

"Kind of like that?" Fitz pointed at the projector playing the orientation video. The light around the lens had grown to half the size of a table and an ominous humming was coming from it. 

"We have to go." Simmons grabbed Fitz and pulled him out of the room.

"I remember what that is!" Fitz shouted. "Or rather, I don't remember."

"Oh, make up your mind!"

"Remember when I told you we were dead?"

"Not that again!"

"No, no, listen. That's the light. You know, like 'the light at the end of the tunnel' kind of light."

His words sent a jolt of fear through her spine.

"What do you mean?"

"Everything that light touches, I forget. It all comes rushin' back when the light gets closer, but disappears when I go somewhere new."

"It must be the lack of neural activity. In the comatose state, your mind is trying to, essentially, re-route remaining power from the hippocampus to more vital functions. It's a survival instinct that's actually quite fascinating -"

"Yes, very fascinating, Simmons. Let's not get too excited over the impending doom, shall we?"

"Sorry." She tried to seem remorseful, but she was really problem-solving in her head. "So, if it's a problem with _your_ neural synapses, why can't I remember what we were doing on that campus either? And why could you still remember the setting after the 'light' took it over?"

"Hhmm, good point. I never remember where I was until the light comes back. But I remember being with you on tha’ bench. Why?”

The humming was getting louder and the hallway brighter.

"Look, we won't have to stick around much longer to find out. I think there's a way - with the neural receivers functioning at full capacity - to get you out of here permanently."

"What are you saying?"

"Fitz, you can wake up. I can bring you home."

He stopped, realizing what she was saying for the first time.

Fitz opened and closed his fists a few times, working his jaw the way a wrestler does before a fight. But the rest of his body was completely still.

"Simmons." He said at last.

"I'm not going back with you."


	4. Problems and Solutions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fitz can't return with Simmons, and they both know it. But she won't give up that easily.

Everything was silent and still. Simmons had grabbed Fitz’s hand without either of them realizing it, and they had closed their eyes to the blinding light rushing down the hall. The deafening roar had ceased and they could warm light surrounded them.

Fitz was the first to open his eyes.

“Jemma,” He whispered, realizing for the first time her hand was in his. “Where are we?”

Simmons opened her eyes too, expecting to find herself in the same white space she had arrived in. Instead, she was greeted with the most beautiful sight she had ever set eyes on.

It was a gorgeous British countryside in the middle of summer. The cobalt blue sky contrasted with the green waves of uncut grass, which were speckled with painted flowers and berries. The picturesque scene brought tears to her eyes as she remembered what this was.

“We should go, Fitz. We don’t know when the light phenomenon will return.” She tugged at his hand, but he started walking up a small hill towards what she knew would be waiting.

“Do you hear something? I think there’s a girl up there. It sounds like she’s crying.” The concern in Fitz’s voice made Simmons heart melt a little.

“Fitz, we need to talk about what you said back there. You _have_ to explai-“ But she stopped as they crested the hill and Fitz let out a soft _oohh_.

Sitting behind a bush was a girl of about 8, with light brown hair and hazel brown eyes. She was crying into a small science project at her feet.

Fitz looked back and forth between Simmons and the girl, a question in his eyes.

“This isn’t my memory. What’s going on?” He finally asked.

Simmons took a breath. She turned away from the scene.

“It’s the day my father left us. I created a bacterial accelerator to make his favorite cheese and when I got home -“ her voice cracked, “-he was gone.”

“But your parents –“

“They’re together now, yes. But he was gone for weeks and we didn’t know if he’d ever come back.”

“That’s horrible.”

“It was the worst month of our lives. My mum couldn’t live without him. He left her alone, and she did everything she could to find out where he was and get him back. At the time, I didn’t realize just what she was going through. I was hurting too, but not in the same way.”

“I’m sorry that happened. I’m sorry we’re here again.”

“Yeah, me too.” She sat down on the grass and started picking at a flower.

“Do you know how long you’ve been in a coma, Fitz?”

He was taken aback. “Uh, well. It feels like it’s been years. But from what you’ve told me – a couple months?”

“It feels like it’s been years for me too. I keep thinking you’re going to wake up and everything’s going to be fine. You’re going to come home the way my dad did and we’ll go back to being the perfect family. But that can’t happen, can it?”

“You’ve figured it out, haven’t you?” Fitz sat next to her as he spoke.

“Most of your non-vital neural functions have shut down. Processing power from your hippocampus is being rerouted to preserve what’s left. It’s like when you take batteries out of one gadget to keep another running.” She sighed.

“And once the battery’s out, that part doesn’t function anymore.” Fitz finished.

“Exactly. But when I came in, we were linked in such a way that you were able to feed off of my neural energy and keep going for a little bit longer. That’s why you could remember more than before I came. I gave you some of my batteries.”

“But you need that energy too, Simmons. You’re not an infinite source. It’s affecting your hippocampus and destroying your memories too.”

“I know, and that’s why we need to get you out of here. The sooner you can function on your own, the better.”

Fitz shook his head. “I designed the neural receivers. I know I don’t have the energy they require to get me out of here.”

“But I do.” Simmons was pleading now. “I’m healthy. I can get you out of here. And I redesigned the transmitters to create a positive and negative flow using a sort of osmosis technology to create a balance between the minds that will allow us to have equal chances of getting out of here.”

“Even with that, you said yourself that all of my non-vital brain functions have been shut down for a long time. Trying to restart them could cause you permanent damage.”

“I’m willing to risk it if -“

Fitz jumped up, yelling “Well I’m not! I didn’t bloody give everything for you so you could give all your damn energy trying to get me back!”

There was silence as Fitz’s words rang in their ears. A breeze played with Simmons’ hair as she lowered her head.

Fitz sat down again as he tried to find something to say.

“I won’t risk you getting hurt for me. I can’t. Don’t you see? I’m already gone. I’m just a ghost. But you have a chance. You can go on.”

She shook her head. “I can’t.”

Fitz ran his hand through his curly hair. He thought for a moment.

“Simmons, you are the most brilliant scientist I have ever met. I’m equally brilliant.”

She let out a short laugh.

“Okay, almost as brilliant.” He continued. “The point is, together, maybe we can come up with another way. Perhaps there’s a way to reconfigure the neural transmitters to extract energy from another source.”

She raised her head, looking into his eyes. It was a long shot, and they both knew it, but she knew that going along with his plan would be the only way to save him.

“We would have to create something that mimics the patterns of the human brain and outputs as much, if not more, energy.” She ventured.

Fitz nodded. “ _Or_ , could we find another organic source and modify it to replicate those patterns?”

“That could work! There are several organic materials which could be combined to –“

She was cut off by the sounds of an earthquake as the ground trembled beneath their feet.

“Simmons? Was there an earthquake the day your father left?”

They jumped up and grabbed each other as they tried to find their footing.

“No! Has this happened before? What is it?”

Fitz shook his head. “It’s not me. This is _your_ memory!”

The ground was starting to crack, and before they knew it, a chasm opened right between their feet.

The force of the split sent both of them to the ground - Fitz on one side of the chasm and Simmons on the other. The crack was widening fast, and by the time they each got to their feet, FitzSimmons were too far from each other to get across.

“Fitz!” Jemma yelled as they grew further and further apart. “First day on the bus! Remember arguing about the night-night gun!”

Fitz nodded, understanding that they were going to a shared memory again. They each closed their eyes and focused, but both could feel the other disappearing into mist.

* * *

 

“Simmons. Agent Simmons, it’s okay. You’re okay.” The voice was hazy and far away. Simmons couldn’t quite make it out.

Her eyes fluttered open as she realized she was lying down looking up. A bright light took up most of her vision, but as she regained consciousness, she realized there were people surrounding her.

Agent Coulson was leaning over her and put his hand on her shoulder as she tried to get up. “Whoa, whoa, easy. You’ve been out for a while. You might want to rest for a bit before getting up.”

She was in the lab. She was awake!

She pushed against Coulson as she sprang into a sitting position. “Fitz! Fitz?”

There was no answer. Fitz was still lying on his hospital bed, connected to his labyrinth of machines, and breathing through his tubes. He had not woken with her.

A sudden rush of lightheadedness overcame her, and Simmons allowed hands to help her back into the bed.

“What happened? Did you speak to Fitz? Is he okay?” Skye questioned Simmons as she handed her a glass of water.

Simmons took a sip and nodded. “He’s in there. I can get him out. You just have to let me back in. We were working on a way to –“

“Negative.” Coulson interrupted and the room fell silent. “I cannot allow you to reactivate that machine. I’m afraid we will have to find another way to help Agent Fitz.”

“Sir, that’s what I’m saying. Fitz and I may have a solution. You just need to let me talk to him again.” She looked around hoping for support from Skye or May, but they just stood there, silent.

It was only then that Simmons noticed the others in the room. There was a small team of medical staff standing a few feet from her bed, and another attending to Fitz.

“Wha-“ She looked at Coulson. “What happened?”

“Agent Simmons, you and Agent Fitz were nearly lost through complications with the device, and I refuse to risk either of your lives by allowing you to activate it again. It will be stored in my office until further notice, during which time I expect you to return to your active duties for S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“But, sir –“ She faltered.

“That’s final, Agent Simmons.” Director Coulson had to stand his ground. “You can not talk to Fitz again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I know this chapter was mostly exposition. Next one will have more action in it, I promise! Please leave any reviews/feedback you have in the comments section


	5. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Simmons enact some bad girl shenanigans to free Fitz from his coma

Simmons spent the next few days improving the lab Coulson had provided for her. The days passed seemingly without incident as she followed Coulson’s orders to leave the neural transmitter alone. At least while he was watching…

Simmons kept the blueprints for the device even after Coulson had locked it in his office on The Bus, which was off limits during recent renovations. Every night she returned to her quarters, pulled out the blueprints, and worked on creating an alternate power source that was as potent as the human mind, but still compatible with the device.

Skye would sometimes bring Simmons meals in the lab on the days she forgot to eat.

“Are you doing okay?” Skye asked while handing Simmons a salad and fork. “Losing someone, no matter how it happens is hard. And seeing him again…” She looked away.

Skye shook her head. Simmons knew Skye had been having a hard time since Ward’s betrayal, but Skye was good at hiding emotions.

Simmons wondered if anyone had been to see Ward, or if Coulson was letting him rot in a cell somewhere until he was willing to give them information on Hydra. No one on the team wanted to talk to or about him. It hurt too much.

“How’s he doing?” Skye broke the silence. “Fitz, I mean?”

Simmons poked at her salad. “Recent scans report stronger brain activity, but it’s weak and it’s still too early to tell when or if he’ll wake.”

Skye leaned forward. “So what are you going to do about it?”

Simmons looked around, as if to check for Coulson. Sure of their privacy, she whispered, “I’ve developed an alternate power source from a quadrilithium battery that uses the human mind to duplicate the patterns necessary to –“

“English, please. You get it to work without draining your strength?”

“Yes! Fitz and I will still need to be linked for me to pull him out, but with the proper calibrations and thermal acceleration –“

“What do you need me to do?” Skye was two steps ahead already. “I’m ready for any ‘bad girl shenanigans’” she mimicked Simmons as she said it, “just give the word.”

Simmons smiled. This was going to be fun.

* * *

Exactly one week after Simmons had activated the neural transmitter, she was ready to do it again. They had it all mapped out: Skye was going to disable all the security systems between Simmons, the device, and Fitz. Simmons was going to steal the device, hook it up to Fitz, the new battery, and herself, bring Fitz back, and return the device before Coulson was done with his lunch break. Fitz would “miraculously” wake up an hour later, and no one would be the wiser.

12:29pm. Simmons put her hand to the communicator in her ear. “Skye, do you copy?”

“Loud and clear, Eagle One. Mission Puppy Rescue is a go.”

“Skye, please. You know how nervous I get.”

“Sorry. I’ll let you know when security is down.”

Simmons nodded, readying herself.

“Now remember,” Skye came through the earpiece, “do not shoot anyone in the chest. Don’t talk to anyone. Keep walking. If they ask, you’re getting supplies from The Bus to finish stocking your lab.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve left the icer behind this time.” Simmons checked her watch just as it switched from 12:29 to 12:30.

“Okay, security is down. You have 42 minutes. Go.” Skye’s command came as Simmons walked through the bay doors to the hangar where The Bus was parked.

The Bus was surrounded by construction equipment, but (as planned) most of the people who had been working on it were eating lunch in the base’s kitchen. There were a few men loitering by the doors and talking, but Simmons strutted past them without a word and was inside The Bus within seconds.

The deck was just as she had remembered it the day they had confronted Garrett. At the door to Coulson’s office, she paused. Generally, it was impossible to hack The Bus without being physically present on it, but Skye had set up a brilliant piece of Trojanware the day before. She pushed on the door and it opened without hesitation.

Sitting in the corner of the office on a wheeled cart was the neural transmitter. Simmons took a deep breath and began pushing it out of The Bus. As she passed the bunks, she grabbed a blanket and threw it over the device.

“Everything okay?” Simmons jumped as Skye’s voice came through her earpiece.

“Skye! You scared me! Yes, I have the device and I’m heading to the med bay.” She was almost out of the hangar, but she paused. “Why do you ask?”

“No, don’t worry about it. I thought I heard something. I must just be nervous.” Skye’s voice was reassuring, but Simmons could tell she was worried.

“You’ll tell me if anything happens?” Simmons asked.

“Of course.” A pause. “You have thirty-six minutes until security systems are back online.”

“Right.” Simmons sped up. She was almost there.

Just then, a division of security personnel came running toward her. She gasped and flattened herself and the device against the wall, putting her hands up.

They had their icers drawn and determined looks on their faces. Simmons didn’t understand why Coulson would send a whole team to stop her. Was he really so afraid she had gone off the deep end?

“What’s happening?” Skye asked in a hurried tone.

But the security men ran right past Simmons and down the hall.

“False alarm.” Simmons said to her earpiece. “It’s nothing.”

She slipped into the empty med bay straight towards Fitz’ bed. She tried not to look at his waxy face and dead hands as she connected the new battery to the device and set up the cerebral amplifiers around his curly hair.

Simmons attached the wires on her own head and put her hand on the device’s switch.

“I’m going in.” She told Skye.

“You have 22 minutes. Good luck.”

Simmons switched the machine on and closed her eyes.

But just then, there was a bang at the door as it flew open. Simmons sat up to see who was there, and the worst possible sight met her eyes.

Ward was standing in the doorway, covered in blood and sweat with a glint in his eye.

But it was too late. The device was on, and Simmons was losing consciousness fast. She didn’t have time to finish Skye’s name before the lab and Ward disappeared before her eyes.

* * *

“WHAT. ARE. Y’DOIN’?” Fitz’s first words were not entirely unexpected. But Simmons didn’t have time for them.

“We need to get out of here. Now.” Simmons grabbed Fitz’s hand and pulled. But before she could get anywhere she hit a wall. Or was it a floor?

She looked around and realized where they were. They were at the bottom of the ocean. In the pod. Abandoned there by Ward.

 _It’s just a memory._  Simmons thought to herself.  _It’s not real. It’s in your head. Focus._

“Fitz, I developed an alternate power source that mimics my brain activity and will allow me to pull you out of here without physical or mental harm to either of us. But Ward is here and if we don’t leave now I can’t guarantee either of our safety.” She spoke fast and Fitz struggled to keep up.

“Ward is where? Is he hooked up to the device too?”

“No! He’s in the med lab where our bodies are. We need to go NOW.” She spoke the last word with such urgency that Fitz was forced into action.

“O-okay. What do we do?”

Simmons looked around and realized there was just one way. And she didn’t like it.

“We swim.”

“What?” Fitz was taken aback.

“I don’t like it either. But I need to pull you out of here, and my mind is creating the perfect scenario. We need to get to the surface. I’m sure of it.”

“If it didn’t work in the real world, what makes you think it will work now?”

“Because we have the battery. Which mean, instead of one breath, we have two: mine and the battery’s. And we don’t need Fury to rescue us. Once we reach the surface, we’ll wake. Then…”

“Then we have to take care of Ward.” Fitz finished for her.

“Right.” She threw her hands up. “Ergh! I was so stupid! I should have checked the location of his cell before asking Skye to release the security systems. I don’t know why I thought they were keeping him off base!”

Fitz grabbed her hands and held eye contact. “It’s alright. It’s not yer fault. Let’s focus on the problem at hand.”

His words calmed her and they set about recreating the explosion that had freed them the first time.

As they worked, the lights in the pod flickered and a determined calm came over them. They were done within minutes and Simmons checked for the ventilators to give them enough breath to reach the surface. She pulled out one and handed it to Fitz.

“Here. when I say, hit the button and put this to your mouth.” She rummaged in the drawer trying to find the other ventilator.

“What is it?”

“Nothing. It’s fine. I’ve got it.” But she didn’t pull her hand out of the drawer. “On the count of three, then.”

“Where’s your ventilator?” Fitz started to walk toward her.

“No! Stay there or we’ll be knocked into each other as the water rushes in. I’m fine. The battery, remember?”

Fitz nodded. “Right. The battery.” But he didn’t take his eyes off her.

“Okay. Two.” She took a breath and it shuddered on the way out. “Three.”

Fitz pressed the button and water came rushing in. He shoved the ventilator to his mouth as the water hit him from all sides. Simmons’ hands also went to her face and soon they were engulfed in hundreds of gallons of water.

As soon as he could move, Fitz opened his eyes and began swimming toward the opening in the pod. He wasn’t an excellent swimmer like Simmons and he worried that he wouldn’t make it to the surface with her. But as he reached the opening he brushed against something warm and soft. He turned and saw Simmons floating unconscious in the pod.

Panicking, Fitz grabbed her and swam as fast as he could out of the pod and up towards the surface. But he was running out of breath fast. Even though she was light, it was hard for Fitz to keep a good grip on Simmons and he had to keep readjusting his hold on her. She was limp as a rag and he feared she was already gone.

Judging by the light refracting off the surface of the water, Fitz calculated he was still twenty feet from the surface when he lost the remaining air in his lungs. He felt if he didn’t take a breath soon, his lungs would burst. Simmons was getting heavier by the second and he knew they couldn’t both make it to the surface. Either he made it, or neither of them did.

* * *

Back in the med lab, the quadrilithium battery lay on the ground, yanked from the machine that was supposed to keep Fitzsimmons alive. It glowed brighter than the EKG monitor by Fitz’s bed, which let out a single high-pitched tone as it displayed a flat line across the bottom of the screen.

Simmons was pale as a ghost as she lay in the chair next to Fitz. Her hand wrapped around his as they lay together in their final moments. But if there was an EKG on her, it would say the same as his.

Fitzsimmons is dead.


	6. Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FitzSimmons doesn't give up that easily

Fitz’s eyes flew open. His vision was blurry. And he felt weightless. Where was he?

He moved his arm and felt something in it. Then he remembered. He was still in the ocean. He was still holding Simmons.

He must have blacked out for a millisecond, but had somehow managed to hold his breath. He looked up and could see the surface.

 _Just a few more feet._ He thought to himself. _You’re not leaving Simmons down here to die. She pulled you up. Now it’s your turn._

He pulled her in close and could still feel the warmth coming from her body. He pushed them towards the surface with all the strength he had left, every stroke motivated by the thought of his rapidly chilling friend.

Spots were appearing in his vision. Lots of them. He couldn’t see the surface anymore. He hoped he was still swimming in the right direction. His ears were pounding and he couldn’t tell if it was from the changing water pressure or the loss of oxygen. Even his hands were starting to lose feeling from the freezing water.

Then he broke the surface and took a deep breath.

* * *

 

Simmons awoke with a start, gasping for breath. She looked around frantically, seeing that she was in a med bay with Fitz, who was lying in the bed across from her.

Fitz was awake, but struggling against his feeding and breathing tubes for breath. It sounded like he was choking.

“Oh, no! Hold on, Fitz. Calm down, it’ll be okay.”

She stumbled over to him, barely able to stay conscious as her vision blurred in and out. She put a hand on his shoulder as she removed the feeding tube as gently as she could. He stayed still for her, but his eyes were darting about.

Just as she got the feeding tube out and put it on a tray, there was the sound of a gun being cocked behind her.

Fitz tried to say something, but he couldn’t even manage a whisper.

But to Simmons’ relief, Skye’s voice came from behind her.

“Simmons! Fitz! Are you guys okay? What happened in here?

Simmons turned around to find a disheveled Skye holding a night-night pistol. The med bay was a mess. There were files, instruments, and smashed bottles everywhere.

“I-“ Simmons looked lost. “I don’t know.”

Skye ran over to Fitz.

“Fitz! You’re awake! You guys did it!”

“Wha-“ Fitz coughed, trying to get his voice back. “What is that?”

He lifted a feeble finger towards the device that had got them out. Simmons looked at it quizzically for a second.

“I don’t know.” She replied. "I don't remember."

* * *

 

A week later, Skye and Simmons sat across from each other in the dining hall while Fitz sat in a wheelchair next to them, holding the quadrilithium battery that now had a crack down the middle.

“So you still can't remember anything since the pod?” Skye asked.

“I remember getting captured by Ward, Garret ordering him to kill us, running to the pod, then it all gets hazy and I don’t remember much else.” Simmons frowned.

Fitz spoke up, "it's weird tha' we would lose the same memories, even though I was out and you were awake." He looked down at the battery in his hands. "It must've been the neural transmitter."

Simmons looked down at the blueprints for the device, which she had laid out on the table.

“I really built this? And it worked?” She asked.

“Hey! I designed it, remember!” Fitz interjected.

“Yeah, I remember that much.” She said. “But it wasn’t designed to work this way. I can’t believe I thought this was a good idea.” She shook her head.

“You knew it was risky and you took the chance.” Skye said, cutting into an apple. “And it paid off.”

“It would have worked better if Ward hadn’t come in and disconnected the battery. Why would he do that? Why would he want to kill us now? The first time was because of Garrett, but this time…” Simmons trailed off. She had seen the security footage and could barely believe it.

“When we catch him, I’ll ask.” Skye offered.

But they all knew they weren’t going to catch him. Ward was too good. He would only be found when he wanted to be found.

Fitz ran a finger along the crack in the battery. He stopped at the base and frowned.

“Hold on a second.” He started unscrewing the base.

“What is it?” Simmons asked.

“I don’t think this crack is from hitting the floor. I think it happened before.” Fitz struggled with the battery for a second before Simmons came over.

“Here, let me.” She popped off the battery’s bottom for him, and he took it back.

They both knew his muscles weren’t strong enough for much yet, since they had atrophied during the coma. But with intense physical therapy, he was improving quickly.

He examined the inside of the battery, pulling on a few wires.

“It’s burned and charred in here.” He said.

“What? How is that possible?” Simmons moved over to peer inside the battery as well. “Energy of that kind could only have been created by a feedback loop from my neural cortex through the device.”

“What does that mean?” Skye asked, totally lost by the science babble.

“It’s been overloaded. The battery was receiving exponentially more power than it should have been and was thereby outputting too much power, burning out all the internal wiring.”

“You know when you open too many programs on your laptop and the bottom gets really hot?” Fitz asked Skye. “It’s like that, but instead of getting hot, the entire battery was fried.”

“Okay? So?” Skye asked.

Simmons crinkled her forehead. “It means that if Ward hadn’t pulled out the battery when he did, Fitz and I would have been electrocuted by the device and the synapses in our brains would have overloaded, causing instant death.”

“Wait, so you’re saying –“ Skye couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Ward saved our lives.” Fitz whispered.

“On purpose?” Skye was still processing.

They were silent. No one had a good answer.

* * *

 

That night, Simmons helped Fitz get ready for bed. At first he hadn’t wanted her helping him all the time, but he realized that she needed his company as much as he needed hers.

She had just gotten him into a sitting position on his bed and was putting away his laundry when he spoke.

“Thank you.”

“It’s no problem, really.” She said as she folded one of his plaid shirts. “I don’t want you wearing yourself out and I’m perfectly capa-“

“Tha’s not what I mean.”

She turned and saw he was patting the bed beside him. She sat down next to him and crossed her legs under her.

“They say that if you hadn’t pulled me out of that pod with you, I’d be dead right now. And then y’go and pull me out of a coma! I mean, tha’s pretty impressive.” He smiled at her and crinkles appeared around his eyes.

“I know you would have done the same for me in an instant.” Simmons smiled too. “And besides, you must’ve been the one to get us out of that pod. There’s no way I figured it out alone. _And_ you designed the neural transmitter that ended up saving us both. You’re the real hero here, Fitz.”

“It’s jus’-“ He paused. “It’s good to know you’ll always have my back.”

“And you’ll always have mine.”

Simmons put her hand in his as she helped him lie down and get comfortable.

She turned to go and as her hand left his he whispered, “Goodnight, Simmons.”

She turned off the light and smiled. “Goodnight, Fitz.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to send out a big THANK YOU to all my readers! Especially those of you commenting every chapter and encouraging me to keep writing. I hope you enjoyed this fic and you can definitely look forward to more FitzSimmons from me in the future!


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